Republic FC heads out on the road this week, taking to the Sooner State to face off with FC Tulsa at ONEOK Field. The two sides faced off earlier this season, playing to a 1-1 draw at Heart Health Park. Sacramento has never fallen to the Oklahoma side in 13 meetings dating to their first-ever matchup in 2015.
Republic FC is 7-1 after a defeat since the start of the 2023 season – one of the top marks of any team in the league. Just two weeks ago, Sacramento responded from its first loss of the year with a strong victory over Monterey Bay F.C., recording a shutout after pressing their foes well and dominating in the middle of the park. Sacramento’s two defeats still rank as the fewest in the Western Conference.
“We want to respond. We want to see people who want to play, I want to see people who want to represent the club and the crest on that shirt,” said Head Coach Mark Briggs.
The squad has put time into the details this week. Republic FC remains one of the league’s top teams, still sitting a point out of the top spot in the West. Their foes enter as a confident side with back-to-back wins – vs. San Antonio on June 8 and Las Vegas earlier this week.
“This week we really plugged away at what we need to improve on and we’re looking forward to it,” said Justin Portillo. “It’s going to be a tough game away from home and with the humidity, but I think everybody’s mentally in the right place.”
“Every game is massive, especially right now when we’re in a little bit of a slump,” Briggs continued. “We’ve got to come out of it, we’ve got to stick together, and we’ve got to lift the standards – everybody in the dressing room knows that the last few weeks haven’t been good enough. If we stick together and we show the right attitude, we will improve and we will come out of it.”
Portillo will be facing his former club for the first time this week as Sacramento travels to Tulsa. Through his first two weeks with Republic FC, he’s slotted right in, playing all 90 minutes in each match. “Having two games under my belt now, I’ve gotten to know more of how guys want the ball, how guys maneuver around the field.”
“I think from the first couple days of training, I felt the guys accepted me right away, so it didn’t take me long to get comfortable,” said Justin Portillo. “It’s going to be a tough game, they’re coming off two wins and are on the up, but I think we’re ready for it.”
